


Games

by walking_tornado



Series: WC Missing Scenes [6]
Category: White Collar
Genre: Episode: s01e08 Hard Sell, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-23 18:47:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7475736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/walking_tornado/pseuds/walking_tornado
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peter has a last question for Kate. (a scene extension for 1.08, Hard Sell)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Games

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [wc_rewatch.](http://wc-rewatch.livejournal.com)

Kate: _It's a music box. That's my price._  
Peter: _Did you ever love him? Tell Fowler I know, and I'm not backing off._  
Kate: _Peter,don't push him._  


***

Peter paused with his hand on the hotel room doorknob. Don't push _him_? Peter gritted his teeth. Fowler had bugged Peter's phone, had entered his home, and had used Peter to get to Neal. It was Fowler who should be getting that warning. He shook his head and spun back to Kate, who had started to relax but now froze like a scared deer.

"Tell me this. Why the games?" Peter demanded, allowing some of his anger to bleed through. He'd maintained careful, calculated control of this meeting so far. It had been quick work to arrange the lamps to cast him in shadow when she walked in. Intimidation 101: let Kate know that she wasn't calling the shots anymore.

"What?"

Kate's innocent routine might work on Neal, but Peter wasn't buying it. "The cryptic message," he said, "that phone call, dangling just enough to give him hope. Why not just tell him what you want? What's the point?"

"You don't know Neal," she began.

"Oh, I do. And I know you're in his blind spot. He has a chance now to have a life and for you he'll blow it. He still doesn't know what you want! If you wanted this music box, why not just say so right off the bat?"

"The person behind all this—"

"Fowler," Peter interjected.

Kate pinched her lips together and stared at Peter, defiant. Finally, Peter huffed an irritated sigh and held up his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, continue," he said.

"He wants Neal off balance, distracted," Kate said. "Otherwise Neal will find a way out of giving him what he wants." Kate's mouth quirked into a fond smile, which disappeared almost as soon as it formed.

"Neal is good at that," Peter agreed. Kate didn't offer anything more and they stared at each other in silence. Peter didn't trust her, and it appeared to be mutual, but he knew Neal wouldn't stop searching.

"Come with me," Peter said. When Kate began to shake her head, Peter continued more forcefully. "Right now. If you're who Neal thinks you are, an innocent caught up in some big plot, you'll come with me. Give me your side of the story. All of it. Give me something against Fowler. I can protect you, make sure you're okay."

But Kate had closed her eyes, and shook her head no.

"Tell me why not." Peter persisted.

"You don't understand. You don't know what he's capable of!"

"Oh, I think I know Fowler's type pretty well," Peter said, but Kate was shaking her head again.

"I have to go. He's expecting me back." She took a step past Peter towards the door.

"Kate—" He moved to block her, but she glared at him, moving her hand towards her hidden gun. She backed out of the room and let the door close.

Peter let his shoulders slump. Nothing about this felt right. His eyes narrowed. Kate had never actually confirmed that Fowler was behind everything, Peter realized, but she hadn't denied it either. In fact, she'd used Neal-worthy evasion, and he'd fallen for it. With a muttered curse, Peter threw open the door but the hotel hallway was empty.


End file.
